waggy tail. He should also be receptive to the judge while being examined on the table as well as gating back to the judge in the ring. At what age do I start to see defi- nite signs of show-worthiness? At six months I am able to determine whether a puppy is ready for the show ring or would prefer agility, obedi- ence, or companionship/ therapy dog. This is all based on their tempera- ments which I have observed over the six month period. What is it that makes showing dogs all worthwhile? When you have a Cavalier that loves the show ring and is your teammate the showring is one place that I find very exciting. When I have a good dog on the end of my lead who is happy to be there and show off then I am pleased with a feeling of satisfaction. What is the most important thing about the breed for a novice to keep in mind when judging? Structure and temperament. My ultimate goal for the breed is to keep to the breed standard as written. Always keeping in mind the impor- tance of correct temperament, struc- ture and good health. Unfortunately at this time I am finding many Cava- liers that are not meeting the breed standard especially in terms of leg length and ear set. I am hoping that breeders will breed to the breed stan- dard and not to the “popular dog” that is incorrect but winning.My favorite dog show memory was my first best in show in the Langley Kennel Club in 1999 inWilliamsburg, Virginia. The most important thing I want to keep is the breed as it is with all its at- tributes as a small sporting dog with many capabilities, such as companion dog, agility dog, therapy dog, obedi- ence dog, scent hurdle dog, barn hunt- ing dog, lure coursing dog, scent work dog, as well as the outdoor activities in which they excel, hiking, boating, frisbee, etc. In short, the Cavalier is a very well rounded small dog compan- ion. I like to place my older bitches in forever homes where they make their new owners proud as companion or therapy dogs.
the majority of my dogs are sold to performance homes and companion homes, and occasionally that out- standing breed puppy will go to a show home. I raise my puppies until they are 16 weeks old, at which time they are house trained, and have basic obedience training. I believe a trained dog is a happy dog and I encourage my new dog owners to continue in the training of their Cavaliers. They leave my house with videos showing them exactly what I expect.When not rais- ing puppies, training dogs, grooming dogs, showing dogs, either in breed or performance I like to write children’s books using my Cavaliers. I also enjoy sculpting mine and other dogs in vari- ous mediums. I have three children and four grandchildren all of whom reside nearby. They also share my same love for Cavaliers, some even have some of my older dogs.I live in Manhattan, I write children’s books and I sculpt. I also enjoy going to the theatre, watching movies, read- ing books and spending time in my country home in Pound Ridge. Is the breed’s huge popularity good or bad? I am happy they are 18 and not more popular as that encourages unrepu- table breeders. I am my own breeder and all my puppies are sold by word of mouth so I’ve never had to adver- tise to sell my puppies and nor would I advertise. Is the Cavalier the ideal household companion? Family fathers often find that the Cavalier is indeed a big little dog that meets all their ex- pectations in terms of hiking, boating, running, frisbee, or any other outdoor activity. Mothers and children always adore Cavaliers and need no introduc- tion to them. The Cavalier can fit into almost any situation. They have won- derful outgoing temperaments and are adored by children, adults and other furry friends.What about the breed serves themwell in the living roomand in the show ring? In the living room the Cavalier can be a couch potato, an excellent TV companion and/or inter- act in a game of fetch. In the ring the Cavalier should be a proud well man- nered happy dog, always attentive to its owner/ handler with a wonderful,
structurally sound, correct moving Cavalier. Moderate—not overdone in head, coat or size with tail moving in a happymanner. It does no good for judg- es to select the dog or handler based on current popular thought. To do so en- courages new breeders to forget about the written standard and base their programs on thewinners in the ring. What is it that makes showing dogs all worthwhile? I love the excitement of the show ring and especially appre- ciate the “bred-by-exhibitor” classes and “owner-handled” competitions. For me, dog shows provide the op- portunity for others to see my dogs and for me to see dogs that I feel come close to our visual and written stan- dards for Cavaliers. All the research, planning, whelping, WORK that goes into producing a nice dog or bitch becomes worthwhile when others appreciate what you have produced— when your five month old baby goes Best-in-Show at an all-breed Puppy Competition or when you finally get a Group 1 in a Bred-by-Exhibitor show. For me, those times are the best. My favorite dog show memory? One of the most thrilling experiences in showing my own dogs did not come with a ribbon attached. A few years ago, I was showing a Blenheim bitch at an out-of-state show. The (well- known and respected) judge came up to me while my girl was on the table and asked if I was the breeder of this Cavalier. I said that I was—not sure if this was going to be a good thing or a bad thing and he said “just keep breeding”! I felt as if I had won Best- in-Show. That’s what I am—a breeder!
JANET YORK I live in Manhattan and Pound Ridge New York with my many Cavaliers. I breed one to two litters per year and
52 • T op N otch T oys , D ecember 2019
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